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Friday, August 5, 2016

From Wikipedia"The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat biplane "pusher" aircraft which operated as a fighter during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The DH.2 was the first effectively armed British single-seat fighter and enabled Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots to counter the "Fokker Scourge" that had given the Germans the advantage in the air in late 1915. Until the British developed a synchronisation gear to match the German system, pushers such as the DH.2 and the F.E.2b carried the burden of fighting and escort duties.

Early air combat over the Western Front
indicated the need for a single-seat fighter with forward-firing
armament. As no means of firing forward through the propeller of a
tractor aeroplane was available to the British, Geoffrey de Havilland
designed the DH.2 as a smaller, single-seat development of the earlier
two-seat DH.1 pusher design. The DH.2 first flew in July 1915.The DH.2 was armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm)Lewis gun
which was originally able to be positioned on one of three flexible
mountings in the cockpit, with the pilot transferring the gun between
mountings in flight at the same time as flying the aircraft. Once pilots
learned that the best method of achieving a kill was to aim the
aircraft rather than the gun, the machine gun was fixed in the
forward-facing centre mount, although this was initially banned by
higher authorities until a clip which fixed the gun in place but could
be released if required was approved. Major Lanoe Hawker
devised the clip. He also improved the gunsights, adding a ring sight
and an "aiming off model" that helped the gunner allow for leading a target.The majority of DH.2s were fitted with the 100 hp (75 kW) Gnôme Monosoupaperotary engine, but later models received the 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J.Other sources advise the Gnôme Monosoupape,
nine-cylinder, air-cooled rotary, 100 hp (75 kW) engine was retained in
the DH. 2 design despite its tendency for shedding cylinders in midair;
one DH.2 was fitted experimentally with a 110 hp (82 kW) le Rhône 9J.A total of 453 DH.2s were produced by Airco.

After evaluation at Hendon on 22 June 1915, the first DH.2 arrived in France for operational trials with No. 5 RFC Squadron but was shot down and its pilot killed (although the DH.2 was recovered and repaired by the Germans). No. 24 Squadron RFC, the first squadron
equipped with the DH.2 and the first complete squadron entirely
equipped with single-seat fighters in the RFC, arrived in France in
February 1916. The DH.2 ultimately equipped seven fighter squadrons on the Western Front and quickly proved more than a match for the Fokker Eindecker. DH.2s were also heavily engaged during the Battle of the Somme, No. 24 Squadron alone engaging in 774 combats and destroying 44 enemy machines.
The DH.2 had sensitive controls and at a time when service training for
pilots in the RFC was very poor it initially had a high accident rate,
gaining the nickname "The Spinning Incinerator", but as familiarity with the type increased, it was recognised as very manoeverable and relatively easy to fly. The rear-mounted rotary engine made the DH.2 easy to stall, but also made it highly maneuverable.The arrival at the front of more powerful German tractor biplane fighters such as the Halberstadt D.II and the Albatros D.I,
which appeared in September 1916, meant that the DH.2 was outclassed in
turn. It remained in first line service in France, however, until No.
24 and No. 32 Squadron RFC completed re-equipment with Airco DH.5s in June 1917, and a few remained in service on the Macedonian front, “A” Flight of No. 47 Squadron and a joint R.F.C. / R.N.A.S. fighter squadron and X” Flight in Palestine
until late autumn of that year. By this time the type was totally
obsolete as a fighter, although it was used as an advanced trainer into
1918. DH.2s were progressively retired and at war's end no surviving
airframes were retained.In 1970, Walter M. Redfern from Seattle, Washington built a replica DH.2 powered by a Kinner
125-150 hp engine and subsequently, Redfern sold plans to home
builders. Currently a number of the DH.2 replicas are flying worldwide.Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included Victoria Cross winner Lanoe Hawker (seven victories, though none in the DH.2), who was the first commander of No. 24 Squadron and Alan Wilkinson. The commander of No. 32 Squadron, Lionel Rees
won the Victoria Cross flying the D.H.2 for single-handedly attacking a
formation of ten German two-seaters on 1 July 1916, destroying two. James McCudden became an ace in DH.2s to start his career as the British Empire's fourth-ranking ace of the war. German ace and tactician Oswald Boelcke was killed during a dogfight with No. 24 Squadron DH.2s due to a collision with one of his own wingmen, Erwin Böhme. Fourteen aces scored five or more aerial victories using the DH.2; many went on to further success in later types also.Lanoe George Hawker V.C., D.S.O., commanding officer of No. 24 Squadron flying a DH. 2 was shot down by Manfred von Richthofen of Jasta 2 flying an Albatros D.II.

The E.III was basically an E.II fitted with larger, newly designed wings that had a slightly narrower chord of 1.80 meter (70-7/8 in), compared to 1.88 meter (74 in) on the earlier Eindeckers, going back to Fokker's original M.5 monoplane aircraft. The E.III retained the same 75 kW (100 hp) Oberursel U.I engine, and therefore also used the larger diameter "horseshoe" pattern cowling that also mandated the inclusion of the E.II's soffit-like extensions to the sides of the upper nose sheet metalwork, but had a larger 81 l (21.5 gal) drum-shaped main fuel tank just behind the cockpit, which increased the Eindecker's endurance to about 2½ hours; an hour more than the E.II. Most E.IIIs were armed with a single 7.92 mm (.312 in) Spandau LMG 08machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition; however, after the failure of the twin-gun Fokker E.IV as a viable successor, some E.IIIs were fitted with twin guns.Fokker
production figures state that 249 E.IIIs were manufactured; however, a
number of the 49 E.IIs were upgraded to E.III standard when they were
returned to Fokker's Schwerin factory for repairs.

The E.III was the first type to arrive in sufficient numbers to form small specialist fighter units, Kampfeinsitzer Kommandos (KEK) in early 1916. Previously, Eindeckers had been allocated singly, just as the E.I and E.II had been, to the front-line Feldflieger Abteilungen that carried out reconnaissance duties. On 10 August 1916, the first German Jagdstaffeln (single-seat fighter squadrons)
were formed, initially equipped with various early fighter types,
including a few E.IIIs, which were by then outmoded and being replaced
by more modern fighters. Standardisation in the Jagdstaffeln (and any real success) had to wait for the availability in numbers of the Albatros D.I and Albatros D.II in early 1917.Turkish E.IIIs were based at Beersheba in Palestine while others operated in Mesopotamia during the Siege of Kut-al-Amara. The only known surviving original Eindecker, bearing IdFlieg serial number 210/16,
was brought down in the Somme area in 1916 by the British and then
evaluated by the War Office until it was transferred to the London Science Museum
in 1918. It is currently on display fully assembled, but with its
fabric covering removed to illustrate its internal construction.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Here are some images of Revell's 1/28 scale Fokker D. VII.From Wikipedia"The Fokker D.VII was a GermanWorld War Ifighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the Luftstreitkräfte, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft. The Armistice ending the war specifically required Germany to surrender all D.VIIs to the Allies. Surviving aircraft saw continued widespread service with many other countries in the years after World War I.

Fokker's chief designer, Reinhold Platz,
had been working on a series of experimental planes, the V-series,
since 1916. These aircraft were characterized by the use of cantilever wings. Junkers had originated the idea in 1915 with the first all-metal aircraft, the Junkers J 1, nicknamed Blechesel
("Sheet Metal Donkey" or "Tin Donkey"). The resulting wings were thick,
with a rounded leading edge. This gave greater lift and more docile stalling behavior than the thin wings commonly used at the time.Late in 1917, Fokker built the experimental V 11biplane, fitted with the standard Mercedes D.IIIa engine. In January 1918, Idflieg held a fighter competition at Adlershof.
For the first time, frontline pilots would directly participate in the
evaluation and selection of new fighters. Fokker submitted the V 11
along with several other prototypes. Manfred von Richthofen
flew the V 11 and found it tricky, unpleasant, and directionally
unstable in a dive. In response to these complaints, Reinhold Platz
lengthened the rear fuselage by one structural bay, and added a
triangular vertical fin in front of the rudder. Upon flying the modified
V 11, Richthofen praised it as the best aircraft of the competition. It
offered excellent performance from the outdated Mercedes engine, yet
was safe and easy to fly. Richthofen's recommendation virtually decided
the competition, but he was not alone in recommending it. Fokker
immediately received a provisional order for 400 production aircraft,
which were designated D.VII by Idflieg.Fokker's factory was not up to the task of meeting all D.VII production orders. Idflieg therefore directed Albatros and AEG
to build the D.VII under license, though AEG did not ultimately produce
any aircraft. Because the Fokker factory did not use detailed plans as
part of its production process, Fokker simply sent a completed D.VII
airframe for Albatros to copy. Albatros paid Fokker a five percent
royalty for every D.VII built under license. Albatros Flugzeugwerke and
its subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW), built the D.VII at
factories in Johannisthal (designated Fokker D.VII (Alb)) and Schneidemühl
(Fokker D.VII (OAW)), respectively. Aircraft markings included the type
designation and factory suffix, immediately before the individual
serial number.Some parts were not interchangeable between aircraft produced at different factories, even between Albatros and OAW.
Additionally each manufacturer tended to differ in nose paint styles.
OAW produced examples were delivered with distinctive mauve and green
splotches on the cowling. All D.VIIs were produced with either the
five-color Fünffarbiger five-color, or less often the four-color Vierfarbigerlozenge camouflage
covering except for early Fokker-produced D.VIIs, which had a streaked
green fuselage. Factory camouflage finishes were often overpainted with
colorful paint schemes or insignia for the Jasta, or the individual pilot.In September 1918, eight D.VIIs were delivered to Bulgaria. Late in 1918, the Austro-Hungarian company MÁG (Magyar Általános Gépgyár - Hungarian General Machine Company) commenced licensed production of the D.VII with Austro-Daimler engines. Production continued after the end of the war, with as many as 50 aircraft completed.

Many sources erroneously state that the D.VII was equipped with the
120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine. The Germans themselves used the
generic D.III designation to describe later versions of that engine. The
earliest production D.VIIs were equipped with 170-180 hp Mercedes
D.IIIa. Production quickly switched to the intended standard engine, the
higher-compression 134 kW (180-200 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü. It appears that some early production D.VIIs delivered with the Mercedes D.IIIa were later re-engined with the D.IIIaü.By mid-1918, some D.VIIs received the "overcompressed" 138 kW (185 hp) BMW IIIa, the first product of the BMW firm. The BMW IIIa followed the SOHC, straight-six
configuration of the Mercedes D.III, but incorporated several
improvements. Increased displacement, higher compression, and an
altitude-adjusting carburetor produced a marked increase in speed and
climb rate at high altitude. Because the BMW IIIa was overcompressed,
using full throttle at altitudes below 2,000 m (6,700 ft) risked
premature detonation in the cylinders and damage to the engine. At low
altitudes, full throttle could produce up to 179 kW (240 hp) for a short
time. Fokker-built aircraft with the new BMW engine were designated
D.VII(F), the suffix "F" standing for Max Friz, the engine's designer.BMW-engined aircraft entered service with Jasta 11
in late June 1918. Pilots clamored for the D.VII(F), of which about 750
were built. Production of the BMW IIIa was very limited and the D.VII
continued to be produced with the 134 kW (180 hp) Mercedes D.IIIaü until
the end of the war.D.VIIs flew with different propeller designs from different
manufacturers. Despite the differing appearances there is no indication
these propellers gave disparate performance. Axial, Wolff, Wotan, and
Heine propellers have been noted.The D.VII entered squadron service with Jasta 10 in early May
1918. When the Fokker D.VII appeared on the Western Front in April 1918,
Allied pilots at first underestimated the new fighter because of its
squarish, ungainly appearance, but quickly revised their view. The type
quickly proved to have many important advantages over the Albatros and Pfalz
scouts. Unlike the Albatros scouts, the D.VII could dive without any
fear of structural failure. The D.VII was also noted for its high
maneuverability and ability to climb at high angles of attack, its
remarkably docile stall, and its reluctance to spin. It could literally
"hang on its prop" without stalling for brief periods of time, spraying
enemy aircraft from below with machine gun fire. These handling
characteristics contrasted with contemporary scouts such as the Camel and SPAD, which stalled sharply and spun vigorously.The D.VII also had problems. Several aircraft suffered rib failures
and fabric shedding on the upper wing. Heat from the engine sometimes
ignited phosphorus
ammunition until cooling vents were installed in the engine cowling,
and fuel tanks sometimes broke at the seams. Aircraft built by the
Fokker factory at Schwerin were noted for their lower standard of
workmanship and materials. Nevertheless, the D.VII proved to be a
remarkably successful design, leading to the familiar aphorism that it
could turn a mediocre pilot into a good one, and a good pilot into an
ace.Manfred von Richthofen died days before the D.VII began to reach the Jagdstaffeln and never flew it in combat. Other pilots, including Erich Löwenhardt and Hermann Göring,
quickly racked up victories and generally lauded the design. Aircraft
availability was limited at first, but by July there were 407 in
service. Larger numbers became available by August, when D.VIIs achieved
565 victories. The D.VII eventually equipped 46 Jagdstaffeln. When the war ended in November, 775 D.VII aircraft were in service.

The Allies confiscated large numbers of D.VII aircraft after the Armistice. The United States Army and Navy evaluated 142 captured examples. Several of these aircraft were re-engined with American-built Liberty L-6
motors, very similar in appearance to the D.VII's original German power
plants. France, Great Britain, and Canada also received numbers of war
prizes.Other countries used the D.VII operationally. The Polish deployed approximately 50 aircraft during the Polish-Soviet War, using them mainly for ground attack missions. The Hungarian Soviet Republic used a number of D.VIIs, both built by MAG and ex-German aircraft in the Hungarian-Romanian War of 1919.The Dutch, Swiss, and Belgian air forces also operated the D.VII. The
aircraft proved so popular that Fokker completed and sold a large
number of D.VII airframes that he had smuggled into the Netherlands
after the Armistice. As late as 1929, the Alfred Comte company manufactured eight new D.VII airframes under license for the Swiss Fliegertruppe.